Scouting the Yankees, on one level, is pretty easy: "They're the freakin' Yankees."
The Yankees can be hit hard, and can be shut down, but it's hard to do both on any given night, and they do a more effective job capitalizing on opponents' mistakes than any other team of our generation. What's worse, navel-gazing Yankee fans (whose I-only-watch-the-Yankees attitude was overwhelmingly responsible for the poor World Series ratings last year) have been buoyed by the team's hot start, thereby rendering them less sullen and depressed when I taunt them with a Rally Monkey.
This year, Hideki Matsui makes New York even more dangerous offensively, and their starting pitching has been magnificent -- although their bullpen does show signs of weakness, at least while not healthy. Prior to the Matsui and Floyd signings, I thought it was absolutely stunning that the Yankees and Mets could combine to spend nearly $250 million (all figures U.S., of course) and have one above-average outfielder combined: Bernie Williams.
In any event, I'll be in the Bronx tomorrow night for Doc-Mussina. First base, about thirty rows back -- on the off-chance the Jays do anything worthy of fan reaction, they might include us in the "token fans of the visiting team shot." Should be a great game...
On to the Advance Scout!
Hideki Matsui's hot start (11 RBI) has endeared him to Yankee fans faster than Jason Giambi, who was booed at the Stadium for replacing the popular Tino Martinez last year...Yes, that really happened; I attended the first Jays series in the Bronx last April...Giambi on Matsui: "He's a great hitter, not just a great power hitter"...Mike Mussina stifled the Twins in his last start, but that should be no surprise: His .905 winning percentage is the highest for any active pitcher against any opponent...With 19 home runs in their first eight games, they missed the AL eight-game record by one -- set by the '32 Yankees and '98 Mariners...Felipe's best buddy, Raul Mondesi, hit the decisive home run on Wednesday's 2-1 win, but cost Mussina his lone run by bobbling a ball in the outfield earlier...Alfonso Soriano slid feet-first on a close play at third on Wednesday, mindful of Huckabygate...In today's installment of the "Advance Scout No Kidding Department," Boomer Wells says he's "not really thinking too much out there right now...I'm just throwing the ball"...But he's been simply outstanding; no Twin even reached third base on Thursday...Erick Almonte was a week-one surprise, but has committed four errors and slumped at the plate (2-for-15) of late...After hitting into a key double play on Saturday, Godzilla said he was relieved to have come through with a "sayonara" single, saying that if he failed, "I might have been bombarded by the fans"...No, Hideki, that won't come until you go to Shea in June...Bubba Trammell, the salary throw-in in the White/Phillips trade with San Diego, went 4-for-4 on Saturday...An elderly usher at Tropicana Field told me in 2000 that I looked like Bubba Trammell -- I think he was senile...Chris Hammond has not filled the Mike Stanton role effectively. Lefties are hitting .400, opponents generally are hitting .455, and he's been poor in the inherited-runner department...Aubrey Huff ripped a key double off Hammond on Saturday...Jorge Posada misplayed a ninth-inning bunt, costing the Yankees Sunday's game and the chance to have the hottest eleven-game start in the club's history...But the Rays were 0-for-2 running on Posada...Soriano's two hits yesterday ended an 0-for-11 slump...Mariano Rivera will throw batting practice in the next few days, after which he is expected to make a rehab stint in the minors...Steve Karsay will also be throwing from a mound later this week...Jeff Weaver is nursing a sore derriere after taking a come-backer there in Saturday's game...I won't ask...Sunday's 2-1 defeat to the D-Rays was the first time the Yankees failed to lead in a game all season...Yankees have outhomered the opposition 20-2 thus far. Yowza!
Projected Lineup (vs. RH, since Hendrickson is not scheduled to start)
4 Soriano
DH Johnson
3 Giambi
8 Williams
7 Matsui
2 Posada/Flaherty
5 Ventura/Zeile
9 Mondesi
6 Almonte
Bullpen Usage
Long: Contreras R, Hitchcock L
Short: Anderson R, Hammond L
Setup: Osuna R
Closer: Acevedo R
The Yankees can be hit hard, and can be shut down, but it's hard to do both on any given night, and they do a more effective job capitalizing on opponents' mistakes than any other team of our generation. What's worse, navel-gazing Yankee fans (whose I-only-watch-the-Yankees attitude was overwhelmingly responsible for the poor World Series ratings last year) have been buoyed by the team's hot start, thereby rendering them less sullen and depressed when I taunt them with a Rally Monkey.
This year, Hideki Matsui makes New York even more dangerous offensively, and their starting pitching has been magnificent -- although their bullpen does show signs of weakness, at least while not healthy. Prior to the Matsui and Floyd signings, I thought it was absolutely stunning that the Yankees and Mets could combine to spend nearly $250 million (all figures U.S., of course) and have one above-average outfielder combined: Bernie Williams.
In any event, I'll be in the Bronx tomorrow night for Doc-Mussina. First base, about thirty rows back -- on the off-chance the Jays do anything worthy of fan reaction, they might include us in the "token fans of the visiting team shot." Should be a great game...
On to the Advance Scout!
Hideki Matsui's hot start (11 RBI) has endeared him to Yankee fans faster than Jason Giambi, who was booed at the Stadium for replacing the popular Tino Martinez last year...Yes, that really happened; I attended the first Jays series in the Bronx last April...Giambi on Matsui: "He's a great hitter, not just a great power hitter"...Mike Mussina stifled the Twins in his last start, but that should be no surprise: His .905 winning percentage is the highest for any active pitcher against any opponent...With 19 home runs in their first eight games, they missed the AL eight-game record by one -- set by the '32 Yankees and '98 Mariners...Felipe's best buddy, Raul Mondesi, hit the decisive home run on Wednesday's 2-1 win, but cost Mussina his lone run by bobbling a ball in the outfield earlier...Alfonso Soriano slid feet-first on a close play at third on Wednesday, mindful of Huckabygate...In today's installment of the "Advance Scout No Kidding Department," Boomer Wells says he's "not really thinking too much out there right now...I'm just throwing the ball"...But he's been simply outstanding; no Twin even reached third base on Thursday...Erick Almonte was a week-one surprise, but has committed four errors and slumped at the plate (2-for-15) of late...After hitting into a key double play on Saturday, Godzilla said he was relieved to have come through with a "sayonara" single, saying that if he failed, "I might have been bombarded by the fans"...No, Hideki, that won't come until you go to Shea in June...Bubba Trammell, the salary throw-in in the White/Phillips trade with San Diego, went 4-for-4 on Saturday...An elderly usher at Tropicana Field told me in 2000 that I looked like Bubba Trammell -- I think he was senile...Chris Hammond has not filled the Mike Stanton role effectively. Lefties are hitting .400, opponents generally are hitting .455, and he's been poor in the inherited-runner department...Aubrey Huff ripped a key double off Hammond on Saturday...Jorge Posada misplayed a ninth-inning bunt, costing the Yankees Sunday's game and the chance to have the hottest eleven-game start in the club's history...But the Rays were 0-for-2 running on Posada...Soriano's two hits yesterday ended an 0-for-11 slump...Mariano Rivera will throw batting practice in the next few days, after which he is expected to make a rehab stint in the minors...Steve Karsay will also be throwing from a mound later this week...Jeff Weaver is nursing a sore derriere after taking a come-backer there in Saturday's game...I won't ask...Sunday's 2-1 defeat to the D-Rays was the first time the Yankees failed to lead in a game all season...Yankees have outhomered the opposition 20-2 thus far. Yowza!
Projected Lineup (vs. RH, since Hendrickson is not scheduled to start)
4 Soriano
DH Johnson
3 Giambi
8 Williams
7 Matsui
2 Posada/Flaherty
5 Ventura/Zeile
9 Mondesi
6 Almonte
Bullpen Usage
Long: Contreras R, Hitchcock L
Short: Anderson R, Hammond L
Setup: Osuna R
Closer: Acevedo R
